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DLA

Stereolithography (SLA) snd Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D Printing

There are many 3D printing processes on the market. Getting familiar with the nuances of each helps to clarify what you can expect from final prints to ultimately decide which technology is suitable for your particular application.

Stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing are the two most common processes for resin 3D printing. Resin 3D printers are popular for producing high-accuracy, isotropic, and watertight prototypes and parts in a range of advanced materials with fine features and smooth surface finish. 

While these technologies were once complex and cost-prohibitive, today’s small-format desktop SLA and DLP 3D printers produce industrial-quality parts at an affordable price point and with unmatched versatility thanks to a wide range of materials.

Both processes work by selectively exposing liquid resin to a light source--SLA a laser, DLP a projector—to form very thin solid layers of plastic that stack up to create a solid object. While very similar in principle, the two technologies can produce significantly varying outputs.

In this in-depth guide, we walk through the details of the two resin 3D printing processes and explore how they compare in terms of resolution, accuracy, build volume, speed, workflow, and more.​
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Model3D for Biology
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education grant program, DUE-1400458.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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MODEL3D for Biology by The National Science Foundation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
  • Home
  • Model 3D Store
  • Buy A Model
  • About
    • Overview
    • Interviews
    • Awards
    • Presentations >
      • Lilly Conference 2019 >
        • AR Screeshots
    • Publications
    • Successful Projects
  • Getting Started
  • Scientific Literacy
    • Library Modules
  • Learning Team
    • Resources
    • Learning Modules
    • Create Your Learning Team
    • Computer Tools
    • Collaborate
    • 3D Design Tools
    • 3D Printing Information
  • Molecular Animations
  • Instructor Resources
    • Standards and Syllabi
  • Contact
  • Molecules of the Month Introduction
  • MotM STL Reference Files
  • Scripps' VIPERdb
  • DLA